Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1887-05-21


there, Squire" he said, syou finish it
It will warm the cookies Of your heart"
Bob had curious skill in the compound
ing of beverages. It was through this &C.
complishment of his that our strange init.
macy had commenced. I drank, but die
not finish the fiery draught, the cookies Of
my heart were warmed by the first mouth.
full.
Bob laughed at the milksoppishness, or
as he expressed it, beersoakishness of the
Chicago men, emptied the pan, filed i,
again with iuniperized whisky. and then
drawled:
Nov you turn in, Colonel; you've weak
head, and bugle sounds tomorrow at sun
rise. sharp; we must be back here by sun
down, and we've deal to get through be-
twi1t whites. You can go to sleep with
your pipe in your mouth. if you like. You
can't set the curtains afre. I'm in for a
drink"
He threw fresh logs upon the fire. and
then sat down with his back to it, putting
away like steam engine, and gazing at
the moon, rising above the tops of the
dark trees that checked q distant gulley,
with a dreamy yet ferocious expression.
l rolled myself up in my blanket, lay down
with my feet to the fire, and musing on the
strange chances that had brought me to
this wild region, fell asleep.
tumble up, all hands on deck!"
This summons from Bob, who, among
score of other callings, had been a
sailor-accompanied by vigorous
shaking, reused me in the morning.
Bob grinned, as he indicated by dumb
show the quantity of whisky he had got
through during the night. It was fright
full amount, but his hand did not shake,
and his eyes were as clear and as keen as
hawks.
I snuffed in greedily savory scent. A
grilled venison steak was ready for break
fast. "Gobble it up" said Bob, @and be
quick about it, while I give look to the
horses. We must leave 'em here to-day,
they're SAFE"
We started on foot, and assembled mar
row pass that was almost perpendicular
rock stairway. While hating on q land
ing, SO to speak, for me to recover breath.
discovered lizard such as had never
seen before. 1t was large and beautiful.
Again we mounted until We reached another
landing narrower than the former, with q
grotto running into the rocky mountain
side. This we entered. Bob took from
his pouch hand lamp, trimmed the wick,
lighted it, and beckoned me to follow. To
do SO seemed at first very much like run
ming ones head against solid wall, for
Bob steered stem on for what appeared a
barrier of impenetrable rock. Suddenly
swerving, however, he led by q succession
of zigzags to pass with seemingly in
superable obstacles of solid rock, into a
corridor SO low that, both being six feet
in height, we had to walk in STOPPING
position. This corridor stopped downwards
in series of steps. As we descended the
air rapidly grew warmer. At first, after
the keenness of the outside air; the sensa-
ton was agreeable, but soon even tough
Bob was bathed in perspiration. My shirt
was literally wet through, and feeling of
stupor stole over me.
The corridor became loftier; we entered
q vaulted chamber. In one corner was a
heap of fossils, which Bob on previous
visits. having broken through the stalag-
mite floor, had accumulated. Among them,
amid other mammal remains, was
he almost perfect skeleton of q
horse, big enough to have sheltered the
Troy taking Danai. There was human
-ibia which must have belonged to man
who bore the same proportion to the said
horse that the average man nowadays does |
% full grown elephant, and among the
Implements I particularly noted a small |
Goth comb to match. On q piece of |
'talagmite, which Bob assured me he had |
'awn off the bottom of q block nineteen
'eet thick-and, with all his failings, Bob
never lied-I observed with awe, an awe I |
cannot describe, characters evidently traced
~ human hand.
My brain whirled as tried to calculate
he remoteness from me in time-time! it
eemed eternity-of him or her, savo for
hat inscription utterly vanished like q
lissipated vapor, whose mouldered fingers
lad fashioned that memorial. On another
awn-of portion of stalagmite, not quite
o thick, there we're circular footmarks
which showed plainly that pattens must
ave been worn in dizzy ages dim and
,ute.
We wandered on from chamber to
hamber, listening to the eerie sound Of
'ater, drip, dripping as it had dripped for
million of years, unhastingly. unrest
Ugly building up the fantastic forms we
aw around; to the still eerier gurgle Of un-
zen streams, in which Bob assured me-
nd how could I contradict him?-there
wan blind offers that preyed upon blind
out. A distinguished American, in his
escription of the Mammoth Cave, re-
larks: mature. on new instruments, huns
er old tunes" In what, for q better
anne, will call Ledger Cave, was struck
kbo o&har bond nv fbo vcoura, ;v> |